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Flux at the Sure Fanzone

Flux Events has enhanced its growing reputation for producing a wide variety of interesting, bespoke, media-friendly, events with the unique Sure Fanzone – a purpose-built inflatable temporary arena located adjacent to Tower Bridge.

Fanzone has been constructed specially to stage exclusive England World Cup screenings with the additional dynamics of special effects – creating a completely immersive and fun environment.

Flux Events’ John Farquhar Smith worked closely with Frank PR to create the concept for end client Unilever – makers of top branded deodorant - Sure Sport for Men. The aim is to find ‘England’s Wildest Fan’ – linked with Sure’s current international advertising campaign where fans turn into animals!

The client wanted something that looked stunning, was effectively branded and would be the most exciting place to watch the World Cup football.

Flux conceived, designed, built the entire project. The team designed the event’s technical infrastructure and ran all production management and site co-ordination at the Potter’s Field location.

For each of the England matches, 150 Sure competition winners visit the Fanzone to watch each match. They are given special clothing, food and refreshments and the chance to experience the excitement, thrills and spills of each England match on a large screen in a totally different and highly social environment – complete with lighting, sound, smoke, confetti cannons, flames, compressed air and a host of other effects – an environment in which anyone can literally “Go Wild”.

Flux was recommended for the job of ‘making it happen’ because of its reputation as show producers of the most off-beat, idiosyncratic and challenging events at the most interesting sites, of which this was no exception.

The major objective was to create a live event out of a televised football match – which they are achieving through the introduction of additional dynamics, fun and theatrical drama.

Between the original brief and the final working plan the design process evolved via approximately 150 conceptual visuals, explains Farquhar-Smith. He started on the project back in September 2005, when Unilever decided they wanted to stage a promotional event concurrent with the World Cup.

Farquhar-Smith and graphic designer John Bentley conceived, designed and realised the Inflatable Fanzone, and then added a host of show effects transforming it from mere passive football watching to a highly pro-active experience for guests.

Flux’s network of contacts and suppliers was invaluable during this process along with its knowledge of site and production management, the various technologies needed and the health and safety issues involved. “We could advise the clients very quickly about which ideas would work or not, and once we had fine tuned the final concept, it was signed off very quickly,” says Farquhar-Smith.

The inflatable structure measures 22 metres long by 8 metres high, featuring four giant Sure aerosol deodorant cans as its four corners, complete with CO2 spray effects coming out of the tops. At both ends are scaffolding structures from Tone Scaffolding, supporting the screen, PA, lighting and other technical production features at one end, and a small VIP seating stand at the other. There’s also an effects truss straddling the structure half way down its length.

The screen is a 6 by 4 metre Barco D-Lite 7 LED supplied by Creative Technology London which receives a Sky Sport satellite feed for the match, complete with live presentation. The screen is bordered by scaffolding onto which are rigged 60 JTE PixelBrick LED lighting fixtures supplied by AVP. These are used very effectively in daylight for strobing and colour change effects – controlled from an Avolites Pearl.

Sound is designed by George Glossop and features a discreet d&b system supplied by Dimension Audio, along with all the other audio hardware and technology, including full DJ set up.

The special effects – including propane flames, 10 large CO2 effects, six industrial confetti machines, two Gem Roadie smoke machines and bubble machines – are all supplied by film effects company Machine Shop.

The effects are triggered via a customised DMX multi-controller, and are co-ordinated, improvised and triggered ‘live’, matched with elements of the game like penalties, off sides, free kicks, goals, etc.

A 40,000 litre mobile fire bowser and hose is supplied by First Defence, which proved very popular for hosing excited guests down at the end of the first match in the blistering heat.

Site power is a linked set of 125KVA generators, being supplied – together with distribution - by Dan Haygarth from Fantastic Illuminations.

Flux’s team numbers 45. They also employed the services of Tim Roberts and Richard Paul-Jones from the Event Safety Shop, to oversee all health and safety and issues. All licensing issues were dealt with by Michael Watson from the west-London based Licence Consultants Ltd & Central London Training Company.

The event is a totally unique way in which to watch the World Cup and has been extremely successful in both Event and Media terms, generating phenomenal coverage including live links to Sky News, ITN News, London Tonight and inclusion in the BBC World Cup montage.

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Flux at the Sure Fanzone

19th June 2006

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